Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i NZ4WD

With the pace with which ‘word gets out’ running at light speed these days it wasn’t long before I was aware that there had been a terrible accident involving a 4WD on Auckland’s Muriwai Beach on Sunday September 13. Like most of you reading this, those living in the 09 calling area anyway, my first thoughts were along the lines of ‘hell I hope it wasn’t so-and-so, because he said he was heading out that way this weekend’ and that it must have been a hell of a big hit if (as initial media reports suggested) three adults and a 12-year-old boy were either dead or seriously injured. Subsequently, like everyone else, I found out that, rather than a bunch of what the local cops, I’d imagine, would consider ‘the…

Feast on this 4WDers, it is the Bentley Bentayga, the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive all-wheel-drive SUV in the world. Finally officially launched at the IAA Frankfurt (Motor) Show in September, the Bentayga is powered by an all-new twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine which produces 447kWs (600bhp) of peak power and 900Nm (663 lb.ft) of torque, more than enough it seems to ‘spirit’ it from 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds and see it reach 301km/h (187 mph). According to Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, the Bentayga “redefines luxury in the SUV sector and offers a genuine Bentley experience in any environment, thanks to a combination of unparalleled attention to detail, go-anywhere ability and cutting-edge technology. (It is) the next step in our brand’s bold future.”…

While the attention of most Kiwi rally fans is focused on Hayden Paddon and the WRC, Ryan Millen, son of now retired rally ace Rod Millen, is involved in an interesting exercise in the US, running a Rav4 In the Rally America national championship. The Rav4 runs in front-wheel-drive only and uses a stock 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and stock six-speed automatic transmission, its only concessions to competition a roll cage, hydraulic handbrake, BFGoodrich all-terrain DOT 215/75R15 tyres, and Tein suspension front and rear. “Over the years, Rav4 has become known more for its benefits as a practical family-vehicle alternative to a larger SUV, and we felt it was due time that its performance and handling characteristics were put on display,” says Toyota’s Alex Du. The project got off to a…

With my last visit to Aussie’s signature 4x4 and ‘everything outdoor’ show in 2012 I decided it was time to cross the Tasman again, hoping to see what’s changed and developed in this period. The way these things turn out it was still early morning (and well before opening time) when I was dropped off outside Melbourne’s big showgrounds site so I had plenty of time to watch the exhibitors arrive and skies to clear, the latter a sure sign that a good day was to follow. The gates eventually opened at 9:00am with only a small number of others waiting to enter. Being Friday it was like a trade day at any show, and that (luckily) was the case throughout the day; a nice manageable number of punters and…

Isuzu have moved upmarket adding a couple of a higher specification utes taking their model range up to 12 with the introduction of the LS-T models in both 2WD and 4WD versions. The D-Max LS-T is essentially the same tough reliable D-Max workhorse ute from the world’s largest diesel engine manufacturer with some luxury features previously only seen in passenger vehicles. While the 4WD LS-T version is also sold in Australia, it took a year for Isuzu Utes NZ to convince Japan to make the LS-T 2WD just for our market. The D-Max has the 3.0 litre turbo-diesel engine producing 130kW at 3600rpm and delivering 380Nm torque available from 1800rpm through to 2800rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic with sequential shift and brake lock electronically controlled, tri-mode…

For a model which has now been around – in its original, square-rigged, form since 1990, the Prado is more popular than ever. Not only that but the market sector it helped pioneer, the SUV one, is going form strength to strength. The latest Prado – the 150 series – is the fourth and has been around since 2009. The series kicked off with the 70 series followed in 1996 by the 90, in 2002 the 120 and in 2009 the 150. While other sectors – notably the Small, Medium and Large car ones – have lost overall market share between 2010 and YTD 2015 (according to Toyota’s stats) the SUV one has gained market share in leaps and bounds. In 2010 SUVs accounted for just under 20 percent of…

Snow – it’s cold, it’s wet and it’s generally unpleasant. Some people like to slide down the side of hills on it and other people like to swear violently about it after it falls from the sky in unexpectedly large quantities and knackers lots of otherwise perfectly good sheep. It is also generally unpleasant to drive on, as it is slippery and means you have to slow down and be sensible, two things I personally am not very good at. Therefore, snow cannot be fun. Or, at least, that is what I thought before BMW decided to show me the error of my ways. BMW are rather well known for making cars that are remarkable fun to drive, and at their annual customer Alpine xDrive Experience they regularly prove just…

Nelson winchman Scotty (Steven) Newport needs little introduction to readers of NZ4WD magazine. He has been around the four-wheel driving scene now for about 15 years and been a member of the Nelson Four Wheel Drive Club for the most of that time. Before that he liked to race Minis, hang off the back of the motorbike for his brother Kooze (hence the nickname “Scotty” from the Barry Crump days) and riding four-wheeler motorbikes himself. Scotty is not just a co-driver he is also a driver. At 48 years-old he is a family man with a wife, three grown up daughters and a wee granddaughter. Vicky his wife is usually found in the passenger’s seat on club trips and always at the events he is competing in behind a camera.…

Comeup NZ Ltd is the new name on the New Zealand winch scene with a top-of-the-line model – the aptly named Blazer - aimed at the serious winch challenge competitor who wants the best. “It’s built from the ground up as a competition unit,” the man behind the new company, Paul Ashman from winch specialist Traxion, says of the new dual motor, 50 metres per minute (mpm) Blazer model. Comeup is a Taiwanese winch specialist with a reputation second-to-none in industrial winches. Ashman has represented it here for close to 20 years when his existing supplier wasn’t making the ac winches he needed for a specific industrial application. “I approached Comeup because they had the model I needed,” says Ashman. “I started with ac winches then expanded into their hydraulic…

Sadly the matter of driving on beaches was again brought into the headlines during September when four young men died while on Auckland’s Muriwai Beach in a four wheel drive. It was a tragedy for the four families of the deceased and another sharp reminder for those who enjoy the ability to drive the sands of that west coast beach, that there can be risks; risks that many people recognise and drive accordingly for safe and enjoyable journeys on the windswept sands. A significant risk is created by the speed of a vehicle and the unpredictability of the beach sands. It would seem that this incident had the hallmarks of a vehicle at speed and swerving or hitting an object, causing it to ‘trip’ in the sand and roll over…

Want to see and experience some of the best terrain and scenery Vietnam, Mongolia and Bolivia can offer – from the seat of a restored ex-Army Jeep? New Zealand-based motorcycle adventure specialist Britton Adventures can help. “We’ve been organising overseas motorbike adventure tours since 1999,” explains Mike Britton, who along with his partner, Angela, is the owner/operator of Britton Adventures. “Over the years we have been approached many times by folk who are not motorcyclists but who still want to have a similar kind of adventure holiday. They’re looking for a travel experience that is a bit different, something that perhaps takes them out of their comfort zone a bit” Growing demand “So to meet this growing demand from non-riders we are now offering adventure tours on four wheels in…

The countdown has begun for the annual SEMA car, parts and accessories show in the US. How do we know? We come across wild rides like this, a 500+kW Tucson (4WD) SUV created by Hyundai and top-end US tuning house Bisimoto Engineering. Called (oddly enough) the ‘Bute Ute’ the Tucson will be officially unveiled at Hyundai’s SEMA press conference on November 3 in Las Vegas. “The Tucson was the perfect platform for this year’s build, offering me the opportunity to captivate a wider audience by tapping into the growing popularity of the SUV market,” said Bisi Ezerioha, owner and chief engineer, Bisimoto Engineering. “After hundreds of hours of testing and developing new engine components, we’re confident that this power plant can handle what we’re asking from it, delivering a fresh,…

So you like the look and sound of Bentley’s Bentayga (see page 8) but don’t quite have the $500+K ‘investment’ needed to be taken seriously by your local dealer? Jaguar’s similarly all-new F-Pace could well be the more, er, affordable, alternative. Set to go on sale here from mid-2016, the Jaguar F-Pace is what Jaguar has dubbed a ‘performance crossover’ with a lightweight (80 percent aluminium) body, choice of supercharged V6 petrol and turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engines, and on-demand all-wheel-drive. Four paw The on-demand all-wheel drive system is Jaguar’s most sophisticated yet, with an advanced, in-house control system which preserves rear-wheel drive agility and handling character but seamlessly transfers torque to the front wheels on all surfaces and in all weathers. The system uses Adaptive Surface Response (ASR), developed from…

Yamaha has fired its first serious salvo against runaway sport market sector leader Polaris with this impressive new YXZ1000R sports UTV. Conceived, engineered and manufactured as a 100 percent pure sports recreational model, the all-new Side-by-Side is powered by an in-line 998cc three-cylinder engine and – this is where it differs most from the current Polaris and Can-Am competition – equipped with a sequential-shift five-speed manual transmission and push button diff lock. For optimized weight balance and responsive handling, the transmission is mounted between the seats and in front of the engine with single piece drive shafts front and rear. Yamaha’s On-Command drive system means the choice of two or four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive with difflock is up to the driver, and can be swapped at the twist of a dial.…

So clichéd was the local cockie that my initial thought was that he was a ‘ring-in’ organised by Toyota to add authenticity to the local launch of the upgraded 150 Series Prado. When he pulled up beside us on an otherwise deserted road near Lake Coleridge it was obvious, however, that he wasn’t happy. Fellow motoring writer Peter Louisson and I had only just stopped to take a photo or two of our brand new, milk-white Prado at the aptly-named Dog Box Corner, and though there appeared to be plenty room for even a fully-laden stock truck to rumble past at barely reduced speed, our farmer friend felt the need to sternly lecture the two shinyarsed city-types (that would be Louisson and I) who were silly enough to stop and…

We all know that there are major differences between the Australian and New Zealand 4WD markets. We’ve been highlighting these over recent issues but more in terms of places to go and things to see and do when you are there. What we haven’t really done, and what we hope this little photo feature will achieve, is highlight the huge difference there is in terms of hardware, specifically camping trailers. A cross between the tents and caravans Kiwis tend to favour, camping trailers are rugged, robust, practical pack-away products which come in all shapes and sizes for budgets large and small. As Murray said about the selection on show at the recent Melbourne 4x4 Show, “Some are the old fashioned tilt-top trailer while others are fully built-up and as rugged…

Cedar Creek just north of Dunedin was the venue for the third round of the Mainland Superwinch Challenge on August 14 and 15 with class wins going to Mike Holmes/ Sheryl Wells (Outlaw), Gordon Jackett/ Scotty Newport (Open), and Gregg Craik/ Matt (Clubman). With the heavy snowfall a week before we were expecting the worst. One competitor even phoned asking if there was the possibility of the round being cancelled. The answer, of course, was no. Rain, snow, hail or sunshine these rounds carry on. And believe it or not we struck great weather; a bit overcast but the rain didn’t start until the Saturday stages had finished. For this round we had 16 trucks entered, with competitors from Balclutha, Timaru, Queenstown, Christchurch, Blenheim, Nelson and Wellington. Twelve of the…

From pole position on Friday to an exhausted but elated sideways slide through the chequered flag on Sunday Tauranga racer Ben Thomasen dominated the 2015 Polaris NZ 1000. In a contest billed as the ultimate showdown between the new UTV or side by side (SxS) class and the high dollar big-banger race car and truck classes of offroad racing, Thomasen was the only one in the top five qualifiers to complete the race with neither reliability issues nor damage to slow his charge. He is the first racer to win the 1000km, two-day endurance race in a UTV, a result that has the ‘new breed’ elated and a few of the old guard grumbling about ‘proper offroaders’. The epic endurance event, which moved this year from Taupo to the south…

For the kid who has everything (or more likely the collector with deep pockets!), Land Rover has created a special limited edition Defender pedal car to go on sale early next year. The pedal car will be hand-built in the UK and styled to commemorate the first-ever pre-production Land Rover affectionately known as ‘Huey’ given its original number plate of ‘HUE 166’. The concept model, shown at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, was constructed using a rolled-edge aluminium frame complete with individual chassis number and personalised number plate and came complete with typical full-size Defender features like protective chequer plate, cylindrical running bars and off-road tyres complete with mud flaps. A leather finish and trimmed seats and steering wheel complete the overall design of the Defender pedal car which is…

Toyota New Zealand has confirmed the all new Hilux will be in dealerships before the year ends, boasting this is the best Hilux yet. Engineers have built the new Hilux with New Zealand’s rugged landscape and harsh environment in mind, resulting in a tough, capable exterior and a comprehensively equipped interior to ensure a convenient and enjoyable ride with performance to boot. There were 110 countries visited by the engineering team, with both New Zealand terrain, and feedback, contributing to the final product. From its streamlined exterior panels, aggressive headlights, and sleek interior, Toyota has certainly raised the bar in terms of expectation for the new Hilux. There will be a total of 21 models in the Hilux range, nine of them new, including five 2WD variants with the ground…

Renault has given us a taster of what the new Nissan NP300-based ‘one-tonne’ ute will look like in the Duster Oroch, a smaller ‘medium-size’ pickup created for the South American market and officially unveiled at the recent Buenos Aires Motor Show. Renault describes the Duster Oroch as a ‘true double-cab pick-up with the space, performance and comfort of a compact and sporty SUV.’ With four doors and five seats, it is compact and nimble yet has plenty of loading space. “This new model, Renault’s first pickup, is the next step in Renault’s globalisation strategy,” said Ashwani Guta, Renault’s Global Head of Light Commercial Vehicles at the launch. “With the Renault Duster Oroch the brand is launching its offensive in the competitive pickup segment.”…

November 1st 2015 Sheffield 4x4 Mud Plug; Sheffield Volunteer Fire Brigade Charity Mud Plug to be held at Bulls Road, Sheffield. Postponed from August. Competitors 8.30am, Spectators 10.00am. $15.00 per person or $30.00 Family Pass. Enquiries to Nev Croy 03 318-3818 or Keith Ross 03 318 3005. November 7-8 2015 Off Road Racing Championship Finals; short course and Enduro hosted by Hawkes Bay Offroad Racing club.www.oranz.co.nz November 13th-14th 2015 Manukau Winch Challenge; Manukau winch Challenge held Onewhero area. New areas for stages this year. Usual classes including Manukau Class. Further details to come and will be available at www.manukau4wd.org.nz November 14th & 15th 2015 Annual Ahuroa Volunteer Fire Brigade Fundraiser; By Rodney Offroad Club. Club Shiny (Option 1): With great scenery and covering a wide range of amazing farm lands,…

Boom! Or rather Boom Rock. Not the one high in hills behind Makara in Wellington’s wild west either. No. Ford chose to locally launch its upgraded Ranger ute range at the storied Wellington site’s new sister venue, Boom Rock Kauri Bay on a farm property half way between Clevedon and Kawakawa Bay on Auckland’s (less rugged but also far less exposed) south-east coast. You’d have to have been living under a rock these last few months to have missed word of the first major upgrade to NZ4WD’s Ute and overall 4WD of the Year. Yet I still came away from the local launch having learned a thing or two. The obvious difference, of course, is in the new front end styling, with its nod in the direction of US cousin…

Part of the attraction of heading out 4WDing is visiting remote areas that many other people do not get to travel to. And while ‘roughing’ it certainly has some appeal, there are times when a bit of comfort can make all the difference. Whether you’re planning on getting lost for a couple of days, or want to head into the less populated parts of the country, you’ll need some warm and convenient shelter. ARB’s Touring range incorporates the Kakadu and Simpson III rooftop tents, a vehicle mounted awning and outdoor shelter, along with a variety of other optional accessories to cater for all of your camping needs. ARB Simpson III Rooftop Tent The ARB Simpson III rooftop tent will provide the ultimate in ease and convenience when travelling. Unfolding in…